MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world’s largest container shipping company, has has awarded the Chinese company Zhoushan Changhong International Shipbuilding a new contract to build twelve 19,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships.
The latest shipbuilding cooperation between MSC and Zhoushan Changhong follows previous contracts for ten 11,400 TEU and ten 10,300 TEU LNG-powered container vessels.
In addition, with this new order from MSC, the Chinese shipyard has officially entered the construction of ultra-large dual-fuel container ships.
According to the shipyard, the new vessels will be part of the latest generation of ultra-large container ships developed and designed by CIMC subsidiary CIMC Ocean Engineering Design and Research Institute (CIMC ORIC).
The ships have a double island arrangement with a total length of 366 meters and a width of 58.8 meters.
In addition to LNG-powered propulsion, the newbuilds will be prepared for ammonia and methanol and will feature various energy-saving optimization equipment such as high-efficiency rudders, rudder balls, energy-saving ducts and windshields, as well as high-performance shaft generators, shore power systems and energy efficiency monitoring systems.
Further details regarding the delivery date and price of the ships were not announced.
The container shipping giant is a strong supporter of LNG as a marine fuel and has joined the SEA LNG Coalition to work with the organization to explore the possibilities of bio-LNG, particularly renewable synthetic LNG.
